Sorry for Party Rocking
by Water-star
Summary: Rukia Kuchiki wasn't sure what was worse: the fact that they just kidnapped the renowned band, Mugestu, or that she was stuck with the band leader; Ichigo Kurosaki. Who unfortunately, also happened to be her ex-boyfriend. How did a simple party take such a turn for the worse? All she knew was that tonight was a night she most certainly wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon...
1. This afternoon

_Disclaimer: I do not own "Bleach" by Tite Kubo nor any of the lyrics used in this entire fan fiction, need I say more?  
_

* * *

_You better hang on if you're tagging along_  
_Cause we'll be doing this 'till 6 in the morning_  
_Nothing wrong with going all night long_  
_Tough to put the brakes on,_  
_Doesn't matter when you'd rather_  
_Get up, and go out_  
_Me and all my friends_  
_We drink up, we fall down_  
_And then we do it all again_  
_Just sitting around, hanging out this afternoon_

_- Nickelback  
_

* * *

Rukia was in trouble. Yep. Deep, deep trouble. _Reeeaaaallly_ big trouble.

If it isn't because she was about to be charged with noise disturbance, _(okay maybe the music was a bit too loud, but come on, its a Friday night!)_

... or for serving alcohol to minors_ (they were on private property, surely that's allowed?)_

... or emotionally blackmailing a police officer, _(what the hell had Hinamori been thinking?!) _

... or illegal possession of fireworks _(hey, that was not her idea! Damn Kuukaku-san...) _

... or arson _(Stupid Senbonzakura, always causing mayhem & chaos around him...)_

... or kidnap _(oh come ON! She didn't even partake in that! Why couldn't Inoue be a bit more orthodox?) _

... or assault _(alright, so she did partake in __**that...**__) _

...then she would be surely be when Nii-sama would return from his vacation to find his home harvested with dozens of totally trashed teenagers and the media just waiting sink their teeth into his reaction upon Rukia Kuchiki's imminent arrest - which was less in... oh... about 24hrs.

Yes, siree. No doubt about it - she was in trouble.

_Why me?_ She found herself asking at this very moment. _Why me, Lord? I'm not a bad person, well at least, I try not to be. I always try to be the best person I can be; I don't lie, or steal, or cheat - well, at least not until tonight anyway... I have wonderful friends and always try to help them out the best I can, so why is this happening to me? This wasn't even my idea! My suggestion was that we should have a quiet night together, but nooooooooooooo... Senbonzakura didn't like the idea; spoiled prat. Instead, he demands for us to have a party and of course, Shirayuki offered to have it here! Goddammit, why ME?! _

From her childhood to now, Rukia had found her cousins to always be such a pain in the ass- from their crazy antics, to stringing her along and put her smack-bang in the middle, and then leaving her to have to clean up the mess; it was fair to say that she was fed up with it.

Although, this time in all fairness, Rukia would willingly admit she was somewhat responsible for her current predicament.

_I bet this was Ryuuken Ishida's doing._ She pondered somewhat bitterly, as she tried to figure out who might be responsible for putting her in such a degrading situation. _Always a stick in the mud; he probably resents me for encouraging his son to pursue a career in fashion & design, rather than taking on the family business. _

_Or perhaps it was Sousuke Aizen because Senbonzakura set fire to his butterfly collection;_ a voice added, allowing another suspect to come to mind._ But why do I have to be punished? Oh wait! Maybe its his nephew, Ulquiorra... _She shook her head at the thought. _Nah, I doubt that he's that petty just because he got bitch-slapped by Inoue in front of his entire posse... _Rukia tried to contain her chuckle, but failed miserably. _That was awesome though... _

However, her amusement diminished the moment she felt the pair of handcuffs tighten around her thin wrists.

_Or maybe that prick, Grimmjow, who was meant to be securing the parameter. Instead the fuck head picks a fight and gets his ass clobbered, too right._ Her irritation soon become palpable as the police officer seemed to be taking longer than necessary; feeling positive that he was checking out her ass. _I should've worn pants,_ the eighteen year old lamented, starting to feel self-conscious of her choice to wear such a revealing pair of denim shorts. _That's the last time I let Ishida pick out my clothes! _

"I hate to do this Rukia-chaaaaaaan..." The man drawled in a sing-song sort of manner; his voice giving Rukia the creeps. "But I have to place you under arrest."

"I understand." She would not panic nor lose her composure. No way in hell. If she had learnt anything in the past ten years being raised as a Kuchiki - never falter, never let your guard down, and never for the love of God utter a single word until your lawyer was present!

"Ichimaru-san!" the other officer appeared, holding a zip-lock bag of what appeared to be...

_Oh no! _Rukia felt herself break out into a cold sweat, her body trembling in fear as the blonde-haired officer approached with that incriminating bag. _No stop, please! No!_ Everything she worked so hard to achieve for pass decade was disintegrating before her very eyes. Tears began to swell at the acknowledgement of the she has brought shame upon the Kuchiki title. Shame upon Nii-sama, shame upon herself, but worse of all, shame upon Hisana's memory.

_Hisa-nee, forgive me._ She prayed quietly to her beloved sister. _Everything I've worked for is coming apart so quickly because of one mistake. Like a intricately designed sandcastle being washed away by a mere wave, one wave - by one mistake. What have I done? What will I do? _

"What is it, Kira-san?" Gin Ichimaru inquired excitedly, keenly interested with this new discovery. Damn sadist.

"Marijuana, sir."

Forget trouble - Rukia Kuchiki was screwed.

* * *

_Several hours earlier..._

Rukia took in a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, trying to ease the tension bubbling within.

At present she was watching her friends working vigorously for the upcoming party, which would be beginning in less than two-and-a-half hours, and so far everything was looking good. All of the tiki torches and Chinese paper lanterns were up and ready to use; except they would have to be lit up when it got darker. The Western-themed garden had its lawn mowed and plants trimmed & preened, the pool was looking immaculate and so inviting that the young Kuchiki was tempted to take a dive right now, and much to her relief, the port-a-loos were also ready to go; because there was no way in hell Rukia was going to allow any of the guests to enter the mansion. She'd have to burn her Chappy collection first before she did that.

"Let's see..." she mused to herself, checking off the list. _The caterers are on their way?_ "Check." _Security guards?_ "Just before seven o'clock."

_So far so good... _She thought before breathing out a sigh of relief, feeling very grateful that everything was running smoothly. _Maybe this won't be so bad after-_

"Kuchiki-san!"

_-all,_ she cringed. _Damn, spoke too soon!_

"What is it, Ishida? Please tell me that you're not the bringer of bad news. And by bad news I mean, something caught on fire and we're about to go down in a ball of flaming glory- not _'my entire range of doll clothing just got laughed at by Granz-san.' _Like you did to me last week."

"Everything is going according to schedule." He remarked calmly despite being highly offended with her abrupt statement. "And I'll have you know, he didn't laugh at my collection; he said my works was in poor taste! Taste?! Coming from him! Have you seen those creepy dolls he makes?!"

Yes she had, and she would willingly agree to that, however, they were quickly getting off track and Rukia wasn't particularly in the mood to bitch about her fellow classmates. "So what's up?"

"I just got a text message from Ganju-kun. He's told me that they've just picked up band and will be arriving in about fifteen minutes."

"That was quick," she said fairly surprised. She had only sent Ganju and Orihime off only half an hour ago, with it being peak-hour traffic, she didn't expect them to be back for at least another hour. _Wow, everything is coming together!_ Anymore good news and she would be riding Cloud 9! "That's good to hear."

"We're were fortunate that Ganju-kun has such good connections." The young man remarked, pushing his glasses back into position. "But I can't for the life of me, remember the name of the band."

"It's not necessary, as long as they can hold a tune, it's fine." She shrugged, before her eyes light up with recognition. "Oh by the way, Inoue told me that you made her a new outfit. She was pretty excited, she keeps going on about how she can't wait to see it..."

Then all of a sudden, a sly grin made its way onto her pretty features and Uryu knew this would not result well.

"You know..."

_Here we go, _he thought remorsefully, wishing he had taken his cue to exit.

"...it so cute seeing Orihime-chan when she finds out about that you've made her a new dress or top. She's told me that all her clothing is too tight and awkward for her because of her bust size, poor girl. She always tells me how much she loves getting into your clothes because you know her body oh-so-well and complete her in a way that _no one_ ever can..."

Okay it was a really lame line without a shred of creativity and probably would've worked a lot better in a cheap porno, not to mention, very disrespectful to the auburn-haired beauty whose been nothing short of a kind, compassionate friend these past few years. However, in her defense, after watching Uryu Ishida considered by many as a frigid smart ass with a "holier-than-thou" attitude, to all of a sudden become a flustering teenage boy who probably doesn't even know what a naked woman looks like - is way too good for Rukia to simply pass up.

_Maybe we should play "Nervous" a little while later... _she smirked, already liking the idea. _Poor guy would probably have to be hospitalised for severe blood loss if Inoue got within five inches of him, let alone if he actually had to touch her._

Her smirk widened even further when a deep flush erupted onto Ishida's face, clearly embarrassed by the raven-haired teen's innuendos although he tried not to appear fazed by it. Wasn't working too well, though.

"Well I'm glad to hear that she appreciates my designs." He commented before once again pushing his glasses back up; a habit of his, Rukia's noticed, whenever he was feeling smug or horribly flustered. "Oh speaking of which, I've got your outfit prepared too."

"Eh?" She shot offended, with hands on hips and throwing a cold glare. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

"Ayasegawa-san!" the bespectacled teen called to their classmate.

"Hai! Haaaaaaaaaii!" Yumichika responded eagerly as he made his way over to the duo.

_A little too eagerly,_ in Rukia's opinion.

"Kuchiki-san's dressed and ready to go."

Turning to the young woman, Yumichika's violet eyes took in Rukia's whole attire: a white-hooded shirt, skinny jeans and ballet shoes; looking rather thoughtful as he scanned her outfit thoroughly. There was an awkward moment of silence before the metro-sexual finally burst into a fit of giggles.

_Bitch, _she cursed, feeling rather embarrassed by his reaction. _There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing! _

When he noticed that no one was joining in on the laughter, Yumichika ceased his actions and noticed Uryu's blank stare. "Oh, you were being serious!"

The blue-haired teen simply turned to Rukia with that same damn, _"I'm-holier-than-thou-and-know-it-all-so-you're-an-idiot-otherwise-for-questioning-me" _as mentioned earlier, whenever he was being a smug prick.

"Alright, I get the point." She growled, hoping to pick up the remaining shards of her dignity. "But I doubt that I'll even like it."

Lies, all lies! There wasn't a single outfit Ishida had composed of so far that Rukia had disliked; from the sketches, to the choices of colour & fabric, even _(but she'll never admit it) _his doll clothing collection that Szayel Apporo Granz had previously dissed - she loved it all. To be able to create and design was a blessing, to follow through your passion and being able to show it to the world was something you should never take it for granted - Rukia knew that all too well.

Although she didn't want to admit it, even to herself, she was envious that he would now be able to pursue his dreams while she had to watch hers fall apart.

"Such insolence! Ayasegawa-san!"

"Right on it!" Grabbing Rukia's petite wrist, he pulled her away. "Come on, Rukia-chan, it's time to do your hair & make-up. Ohhh... there's nothing more beautiful in this wretched world than making other people as beautiful as myself."

_Narcissist,_ the raven-haired female thought playfully, rolling her eyes. But it was who Yumichika was and Rukia wouldn't have it any other way.

"I've already put her outfit into her bedroom, so I'll leave you to it."

"If there's any problems, let me know straight away."

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san, I've got this all under control."

She shouldn't doubt Ishida's abilities. After all, he was her second-in-charge for pretty much everything; from parties & huge events, and even to getting her ass out of the firing range after her cousins would again cook up another heir-brain scheme which would have surely resulted in Rukia being permanently disowned, had it not been for Uryu Ishida's lightning-quick resolving skills.

Besides, he was so anal about following routine & procedures that he would rather have defame his Quincy pride otherwise.

* * *

As he watched the petite teen be dragged away by Ayasegawa-san, Uryu exhaled an exhausted sigh and tried to ease the tension slowly beginning to build.

Poor Kuchiki-san, she had so much on her plate already with university applications and the controversy surrounding her since it was publicly announced that she was now the sole heir to the entire Kuchiki fortune, should her brother were to die all of a sudden. While he pitied the young woman's predicament, Uryu knew that this was the only way for Byakuya to protect his little sister.

_With the entire Kuchiki family inheritance, including the Kuchiki corporation valued at three point eight billion; there will be a lot of heads rolling... _he rationalized, though it felt very morbid. _Kuchiki-san, I do not envy your predicament for a single second, I just hope that when the day comes, that we'll be there to support you. _

"Ishida-kun!"

Immediately recognising the angelic voice to belong to no other than Inoue-san. The young man tried to force himself from smiling as the lovely red-head called out to him, although he couldn't stop himself from noticing how it almost sounded panicked.

Curious, he turned around to face her. "Oh Inoue-san, good after- WHAT ON EARTH?!"

_Kuchiki-san's going to freak! _Uryu thought, suddenly beginning to sweat. _What the hell am I suppose to tell her?!_

* * *

After twenty minutes of make-up application, hair preparation and throwing on her new outfit, Rukia was pleased to admit that she felt fantastic.

_Ishida's done it again. _She pondered, checking herself out in front of her wardrobe mirror. Wearing a ripped pair of denim shorts, a loose top revealing her shoulders with a pale singlet underneath, a golden bangle and a black pair of wedge-heels; it was safe to say that she was feeling pretty sexy right now. While it's something she would never dare wear in front of her brother or the Kuchiki elders, it felt nice to wear normal clothes and feel like another ordinary teenager.

_May as well enjoy it while I can._ She reasoned, marveling on how Yumichika managed to apply both black eyeshadow & eyeliner without making it looking over-the-top and yet still brighten up her sapphire blue eyes. _He'll definitely make it as a professional hair & make-up artist. _She remarked, feeling happy for her nakama.

_Lucky him, _a pang of envy pricked her heart at the thought, _another one getting the chance to fulfill his dreams. _No, she shouldn't be so melodramatic. If anything, she should be counting herself very fortunate. Not too many kids get randomly picked up from the streets, be taken into a fancy home and offered the opportunity to have a life of wealth & luxury.

_Once summer is over, it's off to university to study Economics. _She knew she should be grateful to be blessed with such opportunities and she was, however, for Rukia the future felt very bleak.

_"As of today, my younger sister, Rukia Kuchiki, is now officially the sole inheritor of the Kuchiki corporation, as well as our entire family inheritance..."_

What was Nii-sama thinking; leaving her to inherit everything after his passing? The moment those damning word escaped from his lips, Rukia watched all of her dreams scurry right out the door. She cried that entire night because she knew then and there, that she would never be free to smile again.

"No point dwelling on it now." She muttered, as if those words were suppose to make her feel any better. Grabbing her mobile, she checked for the time - 17:24 it said.

_Good, _she thought. _Inoue and Ganju should be here by now. I better get out there and see if they need any help with setting the band up. _With one more glance, Rukia nodded at herself in approval before turning around and stride towards the door, closing it behind her as she entered the hallway.

Feeling particularly good, Rukia started to sing._ "Oh oh oh oh..." _she crooned softly, feeling a certain bounce in her step._ "Rock my world until the sun rise... make this dream the best I had ever known... dirty dancing in the moonlight... take me down like a domino..." _

It was understatement to say that she was feeling pretty good right now, despite her earlier musings. Nearly everything was now set up, the hired security was on their way, the caterers should be arriving in less than ten minutes, and the band was now here.

_"Every second is a highlight... when we touch, don't ever let me go... dirty dancing in the moonlight... take me down like I'm a domino..." _

Yep, she was feeling great. No doubt about it. Funny considering she was stressing about this entire event for nearly a week, but now all of a sudden out of nowhere, a sense of calm has swept over her.

_And here I was actually thinking it was going to turn into a disaster! _The notion sounded so silly now, that the teen couldn't stop a chuckle escaping from her pink lips. _I shouldn't be so negative. Shirayuki's right; everything is going to be just fine. _

A gentle breeze drifted past the instant she was outside and Rukia allowed herself a moment to enjoy its warmth, relishing this summer afternoon. While winter was a beautiful season, with its pure white snow and sense of purity, for the Kuchiki heiress, summer held a special part of her heart, because it always brought a sense of rush & thrill so overwhelming, so spontaneous and so joyous. For her, it was a chance to let loose. A precious opportunity to savor her adolescence and enjoy the little time remaining with her friends.

She can remember the night of the fireworks festival when they decided to use their own set on the beach with courtesy of Kuukaku, Ganju's crazy pyrotechnic sister. Both Ganju & Yumichika started a scuffle over _"the importance of beauty in a battle"_ versus _"beauty doesn't matter, as long as you look cool in the end!"_ and it resulted in Yumichika bearing with the ugliest Afro Rukia had ever seen in her entire life. Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika's closest friend, was reduced to tears after laughing his ass off for an entire week afterwards.

Then there was the time when all the girls had a slumber party and Chizuru Honsho had spiked their drinks and they all ended up sneaking into the Karakura high school grounds to go skinny-dipping, which was really stupid and mortifying and totally unnecessary as they had had access to the Kuchiki pool. But at that point, it didn't matter.

No, for Rukia and all of her friends, they never needed a lot of money for their rendezvous` or so to have a good time - it was an adventure. Something to look back upon in the later days and think to yourself: _"That was crazy, but damn it was fun and I would do it all over again." _

Because life is about the adventure and the people accompanying you in it.

So despite always cursing and bitching about the crazy predicaments she always got put in, Rukia was grateful she could live those moments and not have to live with the regret of missing out on anything. Tonight was going to be one of those times.

"I won't be forgetting tonight anytime soon." With a grin, the raven-haired teen began bolting towards her nakama, to see if they needed any assistance.

"Hey guys!" she called, as she got closer to the group. Unfortunately, she did not notice that Ganju seemed to be struggling with something in his van and cursing obscenities to no one in particular, or how Ishida looked even paler than usual, or that Inoue was on the verge of tears. "I thought I check to see if you needed any- WHAT THE HELL!?"

Ganju looked like a deer-in-headlights. Inoue started bawling. Ishida was the one to speak.

"You see, Kuchiki-san..." he started choosing his words with great care, like a bomb officer would be to diffusing a bomb. "There's been a bit of a... mishap."

_This is not a mishap,_ she wanted to argue feeling her temple beginning to twitch erratically from annoyance. _Because a mishap by Oxford standards is defined as "an unlucky accident." _

No, this was far from being labelled a simple mishap. This was a fucking catastrophe!

Because in the van, right before her very eyes were four painstakingly familiar males; all sitting next to another in a row. Nearly every one of the bound, gagged, blindfolded and looking very much horrified. The fact that one of those four men was actually unconscious and didn't appear to be breathing, didn't even scratch the surface of her anxiety - _although she was deeply concerned for the poor man's well-being._

Not even was the fact the band whom Inoue & Ganju have just allegedly kidnapped were the _Mugetsu_. A band who were known all through Japan and to the rest of the world for their musical genius, originality, and godly looks. They even managed to make an impression on the Western music industry - they were huge! They were what Justin Beiber is currently to hormonally driven teenage girls who with no taste for real art.

And they were here. On her property.

Once word got out that Mugetsu were making an appearance; any uninvited guests, the media and pretty much the rest of the Asian continent will be making their way over to catch a glimpse of the popular rock band.

"Fuck."

No, the worst part of all of this; was right now less than five feet away from her was Ichigo fucking Kurosaki - the band leader & founder of Mugetsu. Who, unfortunately, also happened to be her ex-boyfriend.

And _he_ was were here. On her_ property._

_FUCK MY LIFE!_

Oh yes for Rukia Kuchiki, tonight was certainly going to a night that she won't be forgetting anytime soon...

* * *

_AN: So concludes the first chapter of "Sorry for Party Rocking" - what did everyone think? While I'm not particularly good with humor, I hope that I at least managed to keep it light-hearted. Now for the moment of truth: _

_Have I got your interest? Is the plot original? Did I manage to keep everyone in character? Is my spelling and grammar acceptable? _

_Please R&R - its always appreciated and it lets me know where I can improve. Thank you for reading and I'll update soon._


	2. Something about us

_It might not be the right time_  
_ I might not be the right one_  
_ But there's something about us I want to say_  
_ Cause there's something between us anyway_

_I might not be the right one_  
_ It might not be the right time_  
_ But there's something about us I've got to do_  
_ Some kind of secret I will share with you_

_- Daft Punk_

* * *

Ishida couldn't believe this turn of event.

Before him stood Ichigo Kurosaki, Kaien Shiba, Ashido Kano & Renji Abarai; the band members of Mugetsu. _THE_ Mugetsu! How? Why? What on earth was Ganju thinking inviting them to perform?! No wait - what was Ishida _THINKING_ allowing Ganju-kun to be in charge of the entertainment?! Not only was there a unresolved animosity between Kurosaki and the Kuchiki heiress, but Byakuya Kuchiki would being have a field day if he found out that the orange-haired man was allowed access to the Kuchiki property without his notification. Kuchiki-san herself looked as though she were about to have a brain aneurism.

"Ganju-kun," he said calm & clear. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Ganju, who already looking nervous, seemed to grow pale when he detected the frosty underlay of Ishida's voice. "Uh, sure."

As they began walking away from the van, the Shiba sibling wondered briefly if he should be attempting to make a break for it, but decided against it. If today was going to be his last day on earth then so be it. He'll stand firm and take whatever comes to him, like a real man. He could only pray to the heaven's that if he wasn't going to make it out alive, then at least, his older brother would come out okay. The van didn't have a lot of ventilation and Inoue had to stay in the back with the band the entire time as they returned from the airport, just to make sure that Kaien was still breathing.

"Ganju-kun," Uryu started as soon as they were a good distance from Kuchiki-san's hearing range. "Please explain to me why you've got Mugetsu in the back of your van?"

"Eto... you see..." Rubbing the back of his neck, Ganju barked out a nervous laugh. "Kaien nii-san is the second guitarist and I thought it would be really good to invite him & the others along."

"Surely, you remember the giant blowout between Kurosaki & Kuchiki-san?"

"I know that!" he rebutted and then added thoughtfully: "...I could never forget that. But you need to remember that Kuchiki was the one who-"

"GANJU!"

The youngest Shiba sibling froze as he turned around to see said person rapidly approaching them with Inoue-san tagging closely behind. Oh god, the Kuchiki heiress looked like she was out of for blood. And preferably Ganju Shiba's!

"Ganju." She started eerily cool.

All of a sudden, the summer humidity which had been so merciless & unbearable for these past few days, vanished. From forty degrees to below zero in a manner of 2.3 seconds, the warm air was instantly replaced with icy ambiance of doom & misery that promised nothing good could come out of this; it was as if mother-nature herself, could sense the pissed-off aura Kuchiki-san was emitting and decided to provide a gloomy atmosphere for the unfortunate soul who was about to breathe his last breath. Safe to say, it left even Uryu standing on edge.

"Why is it that you've got Mugetsu in the back of your van?" She asked with a civil tone; her voice sending chills down the poor man's spine.

"Well... Well, you see..."

"Well what, Ganju?" She interrupted in a clipped tone, an clear indication that she did not want to be trifled with. "Because if this is some kind of joke, it's pretty bad."

_Don't stutter, Ganju-kun._ Uryu thought, hoping that his silent message would reach the unfortunate Shiba sibling._ Tell her before she loses all patience. _

"B-but-"

"Spit it out, fool!" Rukia cut off, her patience wearing thin. "Before I rip it out of you!"

_Too late._

"Well, you said it was okay..."

Now Uryu was most certainly not expecting to hear _that_ as an answer.

"WHAT?!" Kuchiki-san all but exploded upon hearing this. "You're meant to tell me; that I _allowed _this!" She was in disbelief, stupefied, shocked, horrified, infuriated, murderous - oh boy, she looked like she wanted to kill something, or someone - and Inoue-san was the closest target! "I don't believe that!"

"I'm afraid have to agree with Kuchiki-san." Uryu responded, pushing his glasses back into place. "Even if she had consented, I being second-in-charge of the event should have been promptly notified."

"But you were notified!" Ganju protested, frustration getting the better of him. "You were both there when I told you!"

"No... we... WEREN'T!" the Kuchiki heiress fired back.

"Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun..." Inoue interrupted, deciding that it was high-time for her to add her own two cents worth. "Do neither of you not remember?" She asked, her beautiful grey eyes wide alight with surprise and disappointment and a childish innocence.

"Remember what, Inoue-san?" the fashion designer pondered curiously.

"Ganju-kun asked you a couple of days ago," she replied. With an arm crossed her abdomen and finger to her chin _(looking remarkably adorable - if Uryu would say so himself)_, a trait of hers whenever she was in deep thought. "Let's see... I think it was while Kuchiki-san was drawing that really cute picture of Chappy, and Ishida-kun you were making a dress for Kon-chan."

Oh yes, he remembered now. And from the stunned expression written all across Kuchiki-san's face - it was a safe guess to say that she did too.

* * *

_"Hey Kuchiki, I really need to ask you something important. It's about the party."_

_"Is it important?" she replied. _

_It was lunch time at school and both her & Ishida were in homeroom, currently occupied with their tasks. Rukia was finishing her project for art class, the theme was "Soothing" and it was due in the next period. One of her best, if she would say so herself and she was confident that sensei would agree. After all, you could practically feel the peace & tranquility oozing off her sketch pad. Who wouldn't with seeing Chappy the rabbit performing yoga?_

_Meanwhile, Ishida was adding the final touches on a new dress for Kon, the group's plushie mascot. It was a Victorian-themed piece; a red velvet dress with multiple layers of lace & silk. Ishida even managed to add a lovely blonde wig to suit the theme - he was immensely proud of it. Szayel Apporo Granz, eat your heart out. _

_Ganju looked nervously to Orihime, hoping that her presence could give him the support he needed. "Well it's about the band."_

_"The band? What about it?" the raven-haired woman inquired, though it was obvious she was more focused on her drawing than of the actual conversation. "They're still coming aren't they?"_

_"Of-of course!" he stuttered, his nerves beginning to get the best of him. "But that's up to you! Only if you want them there."_

_The young woman stopped what she was doing to face Ganju. Frowning, she asked, "Why wouldn't I want them there?"_

_"It's just, well-"_

_Rolling her eyes, she bluntly stated; "Get to the point, fool."_

_"It's Mugetsu!"_

_An awkward moment passed and Ganju could feel his heart pounding a million miles away, it was surprising no one could hear it! Even Inoue looked uneasy, he noted, watching her clench the fabric of her school skirt. _

_However, Ishida was so engrossed with his work he didn't even bat an eyelash, whilst Rukia didn't seem fazed by the announcement._

_"So?"_

_What? It really didn't bother her that Ichigo would be there? Looking to his left, he could tell that Inoue was surprised as well. "Well you know, that their band leader is-"_

_"Doesn't matter." Rukia replied, turning back to her sketch pad. _

_"Really?" he was surprised. _

_"It's no big deal." She shrugged her shoulders, "I probably will be too busy on keeping the estate from falling apart, to be around anyway." _

_He definitely wouldn't have thought that Kuchiki would behave in such a calm manner. He had expected her to blow out and then curse, yell & demand that there was absolutely no way she would allow this. However, she had always managed to surprise him._

_**Probably from all the years being around her brother. **__He concluded as she waved her hand in dismissal, determined on finishing her project._

* * *

Rukia took a moment to seriously contemplate her situation as of now.

_STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! _She berated herself, angered by her own could she have forgotten? Ganju had been so nervous and Inoue looked horribly tense; they had been worried about her reaction and she hadn't even noticed! She'd been so focused on her brilliant Chappy masterpiece that it hadn't even clicked how famous Mugetsu was, or that its leader happened to be someone she never wanted to lay eyes on again.

"Okay fair enough, we forgot that you had already mentioned this." Ishida said to Ganju & Inoue, breaking Rukia's train of thought. "But why are they tied up?"

Inoue let out a nervous giggle and began to rub the back of her head. "That was my doing," she sheepishly admitted.

"You see..." Ganju continued, noticing the ginger-haired beauty wasn't up for telling the story. "Orihime-chan, had one of her... moments."

Rukia groaned and face-palmed herself. The Shiba sibling didn't need to go any further.

Orihime Inoue is a great girl; she's smart, she's beautiful, a wonderful personality, a great body, a caring demeanor - Rukia could go on about her friend all day - but one of the few downfalls to Inoue was her overactive imagination. Everything would be going well and all of a sudden the buxom girl would cry out a random remark or tackle someone to the ground.

Once Rukia, Tatsuki & Orihime were having dinner together and were talking about dates in the park when all of a sudden, Inoue clutched her chest and shouted out: _"Oh no! Run away! Run away! Me! No! Champ!" _

It wasn't as serious as it sounded and it never bothered any of their friends, however, this first time Rukia had witnessed one of these attacks nearly five years ago, she immediately dragged the young girl to a specialist and had her be tested for schizophrenia, ADHD or pretty much any other mental conditions on the face of the planet. It had been both a dreadful & somewhat mortifying experience and while Rukia still felt guilty for putting the poor girl through such an ordeal; but it was a relief like none other to find out that all of Inoue's tests results came out as negative.

_She's just got a wild imagination. Nothing to be alarmed about, _Doctor Unohana had diagnosed, a warm smile on her lips as she said so. _She'll grow out of it, over time. _And true to her word, as time passed on and Orihime began to mature, the random outbursts occurred less often - once in a blue moon. Too bad, that said blue moon decided to rock up on the one day when Rukia already enough to worry about.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san. I really messed up." Inoue apologised and bowed her head, looking much like a kicked puppy.

All irritation & anger quickly washed away as Rukia watched her friend's crestfallen expression, leaving the Kuchiki heiress a pang of guilt. Letting out a tired sigh, the blue-eyed teen walked over to her friend and pulled her into a tight hug, greatly surprising the auburn-haired girl, most likely because she knew that Rukia wasn't much of a touchy-freely sort of person.

"It's okay, Inoue. You didn't do anything wrong. I should be the one saying sorry."

"But I..."

"Don't worry about it. What's done is done." Rukia pulled back and gently wiped away the tears that streaked Inoue's flushed cheeks. With a tender smile, she added, "We'll figure it out together."

"Kuchiki-san..."

"Ano..." Ganju interrupted awkwardly with his cheeks shining a vibrant red; probably feeling weird about watching such a tender moment between the girls, and from the looks of things, Ishida seemed to be seconding that motion. Idiots. "So what do we do now?"

_What to do now? _Folding her arms over her chest and closing her eyes in thought, Rukia quickly mulled over the best course of action and came up with three options:

* * *

_**1. Send the band back to wherever Inoue & Ganju found them. **_

_Pro: They'll be back where they should be and they'll never have to know what just occurred. With a small lump sum to keep them from never mentioning this incident to another soul. No harm done._

_Con: Surely someone would've noticed four men all of a sudden be tied & gagged and thrown in a van; and had notified the police. Not to mention, Kaien looks like he should be receiving some sort of medical attention. Poor guy. Also, they would have to find a new source of entertainment and fast._

* * *

_**2. Talk to the band.**_

_Pro: At least they'll know it's a honest mistake and that everyone involved was genuinely sorry for this incident. Then they can discuss if Mugetsu still wished to perform tonight, or if they preferred to be sent home._

_Con: She would have to talk to the orange-haired man and most likely involve the two of them getting in an argument._

* * *

_**3. Run away**_

_Pro: She could run far far away, assume a new identity and live well & prosper. Then she wouldn't have to go to talk to Ichigo, or go to university to study economics._

The option was fairly appealing, Rukia decided, and she was seriously contemplating taking that course of action. However...

_Con: It would bring great dishonor onto the Kuchiki family. _

Damn.

* * *

So with no other feasible solutions, Rukia reluctantly acknowledged that she would have to pick option number two. "Unload the band," she announced, surprising everyone around her.

"R-really?" Inoue asked, her grey eyes wide & vibrant like a young child on Christmas morning.

"Of course. After all, Ganju hasn't seen his brother in a long time and I'm sure everyone wants to see them. I'm looking forward to catching up with the guys." Everyone except Ichigo. "Besides it's not like we have a lot of time to organise some new entertainment, so we better get ready."

Walking back to the van with the others in front, Rukia leisurely strolled down the footpath, mentally bracing herself for the upcoming conflict that would soon occur between Ichigo & herself. The moment his blindfold would be taken off and when he realised where he was, he will automatically lash out. Ashido won't really be at all fazed because he was use to these crazy antics, Renji would be too preoccupied with wanting to hang out with Rukia and when Kaien awakes (hopefully), he'll probably laugh it off and then go hang out with his baby brother. Then again, it has been a while since she had last seen any of them, so things might be different.

_The last time I saw Ichigo he was seventeen and finishing highschool. A few weeks after graduation, he would've turned eighteen, _she thought to herself. _So he'd be close to twenty now. Kaien and Ashido would both be around twenty-four and Renji would be close to turning twenty-one soon. _

It was unbelievable knowing that after two years of absence, Ichigo Kurosaki, her ex-boyfriend was right now less than five feet away from her.

_No,_ a voice within her protested. _He was never yours to begin with. _That was true. Technically Ichigo wasn't her ex because they hadn't actually dated to begin with - at least in her own opinion. He was a boy who was also a friend and although they had been very close friends, yes, and were practically joined to the hip back when they were younger, there were no romantic feelings involved.

How could there be? They were always fighting, throwing taunts to another, kicking & biting _(at least on Rukia's part anyway)_ and they could never agree upon anything.

What they shared was stupid and intimate, wonderful & challenging, spontaneous & so rare to come by nowadays. In her weaker moments, when Rukia was feeling lonely or nostalgic, she would allow herself to delve in the past.

She would remember the nights when she would turn up to Ichigo's house and climb through into his bedroom, and ignore his demands of using the front door like a normal person because his family were already aware of her presence. She would scoff, roll her eyes and collapse onto his mattress which would be met with another protest, however, it was always half-ass. Later on, after going downstairs and joining Isshin-san & the twins for dinner, they would trek back up the stairs, go into his bedroom, Rukia would resume her position on Ichigo's bed and he would practice on his guitar.

He was good even then at fifteen-and-a-half, she already knew that, even at the tender age of fourteen. Sometimes, when she was in a particularly good mood, she would join him by singing along or help with composing one of his songs, but for most part, she would lay on his mattress and gaze out the window.

_It only seems like yesterday we were hanging out over in Kaien-san's garage, for their first practice session. _She reminisced fondly, almost laughing at the memory. _Ganju & Ichigo got into such a huge fight and proceeded to wreck the garage in the process. Kukaku-san probably would've been fine to let them continue if they hadn't broken her smoking pipe, or accidentally lit up her fireworks pile with said broken pipe and nearly burnt down the entire house!_ _She was so pissed, even Kaien looked like he was about to bolt! __Oh, what wonderful times. I wished to Kami, that we could always live those days..._

"...but all good things must come to an end." She finished wistfully. It was a painful thing to accept, however, she knew it must be accepted if she wished to follow her nii-sama's footsteps.

It was unfortunate really that her and Ichigo had to go their separate ways, but necessary. She didn't cry about it, didn't listen to songs of love & woe, or eat an entire tub of chocolate ice-cream as a meager attempt to soothe her aching heart - Rukia didn't do that type of shit. When she got hurt, she'll instantly pick herself up off the ground; brush away the dust and hurt, then walk on.

"Are we ready?" Ishida asked once they reached the van. Ganju was beginning to pull each band member whilst Inoue stood behind, guiding them out of the vehicle with the utmost care. Once Ashido, Renji & Ichigo were out and standing in a row, the others looked to Rukia for guidance; all wondering if this was really okay.

Out of nowhere, a strong breeze brushed by, ruffling her flimsy clothing & playfully tugging at her short ebony locks. She noticed in that one small insignificant moment, that for some odd reason, Ichigo started to relax. His broad shoulders slumped ever-so-slightly and Rukia was almost certain that she heard a small sigh escaped past his muffled lips. But that couldn't be right. If she was in his position, she would be feeling rather frantic and would be struggling against her captor, like Renji was currently doing with Ganju. Ashido himself, judging from his posture, seemed tense and most likely very eager to get some answers, and to find out why the hell he was even in this situation.

_Why does he seem so calm? Has he already realised? _The raven-haired teen thought, wondering on the likely-hood of the Ichigo Kurosaki already putting the pieces together. Despite his rash mannerisms, Ichigo has always been quick to pick up important details and form a conclusion. _Well he didn't get eleventh place in the school's ranking with his orange hair... Earth to Rukia: stop daydreaming! _Snapping back to reality, Rukia gave her nakama a nod of approval and spoke out loud in a firm tone:

"Remove the ties."

Bracing herself for the inevitable, Rukia tried not to falter under the gaze of Ichigo's piercing amber eyes whilst his bindings came undone. It took every part of her Kuchiki pride in that one moment to not turn around and bolt; for her to run away and hide where the past could not hurt her. She yearned to shut him completely out of her heart & her mind, and desperate to deny this was affecting her more greatly than she would've ever imagined.

_Oh Ichigo, _she thought mournfully as she saw his eyes finally fall upon her. She watched with nerves and dread as they widened in surprise, before they then quickly clouded over with hurt & ponder. _I wonder if you still resent me for pushing you away..._

* * *

_AN: Woo! Second chapter done, I'm so proud of myself :-) _

_First off, thank you to the people who have reviewed so far, its been an honour to receive your thoughts and opinions on the story so far, and I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. A special thanks also to the people who alerted or favourited this fanfic to their profile, I'm glad people actually are interested. _

_Although, I'm a little concerned I might've confused the audience in the first chapter. One reviewer wanted to know what happened to Rukia in the opening. Firstly, I wanted to show you a glimpse into the future but to fully understand of how she got into that situation, you have to see the events leading up to it. Secondly, Byakuya's currently on vacation, however, you'll find out where later (but it's not really an important factor to the story.) Also, Rukia isn't in the band - but she's known them all personally for years._

_Anyway, I'm off to edit the third chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story so far, and don't worry, Ichigo will finally be making his entrance. Excited much? I know I am. ;-)_


	3. Me & you

_Last year's wishes are this year's apologies, every last time I come home_  
_I'll take a last chance to burn a bridge or two_  
_I only keep myself this sick in the head because I know how the words get you off_  
_We're the new face of failure; prettier and younger but not any better off_  
_Bullet proof loneliness at best, at best_  
_Me and you setting in a honeymoon_  
_If I woke up next to you, if I woke up next to you_  
_Me and you setting in a honeymoon_  
_If I woke up next to you, if I woke up next to you_

_- Fall Out Boy_

* * *

When Kaien had suggested that they all should go to Karakura for the weekend, Ichigo Kurosaki immediately grew suspicious of his older cousin. Although it had been nearly eight months since any of the band members had been back in their home town, Kaien didn't make any suggestions of being homesick nor did he provide a valid purpose for visiting other than offering some half-hearted excuse of: _"It'll be good inspiration for our next album." _What a load of bull shit. They'd all be so busy catching up with family and friends that they wouldn't have the time to be thinking of music.

Not to mention, it was an unspoken rule amongst the group that music is neither spoken of nor composed during their time in Karakura. So even if Ichigo came up with a good idea for a song, it would be pretty pointless as he wouldn't be allowed to write it down, and given his lousy memory; he'd probably forget the entire thing by the time they left. Very unproductive and irresponsible considering he was the lyricist, he understood that, however, he had his personal reasons for doing so and the other band members never brought the subject up.

Also, another reason for his suspicion at the sudden suggestion of returning to their home town, is usually such ventures would be planned thoroughly for several weeks in advance. So when Kaien rocked up to their practice session with plane tickets in hand and announced that they should take a trip home to Karakura, plus the fact that neither Renji nor Ashido made any sort of complaint nor seemed surprised by Kaien's outburst - it was safe to say that Ichigo's suspicion was promptly aroused.

"This cannot end well." The band leader muttered to himself, adjusting his baseball cap further down, hoping to cover as much of his features as possible, or at least his absurdly bright orange hair.

Ichigo absolutely, 100% percent _loathed_ it whenever he was forced to come to an airport - because one slip up and a crowd of fans would come rampaging. While he appreciated all his fans and their enthusiasm towards their music; the lyricist of Mugestu would find it at most, to be too overwhelming for his liking. He would blush and stutter, and become horribly flustered. Kaien & Renji, however, were both energetic and very people-friendly, so they loved interacting with their loyal followers, whilst Ashido who was more of an introvert, still took it rather well and performed his duty with an effortless grace.

They were all good at it, except for him. Kaien believes that he'll eventually become accustomed, but Ichigo highly doubted it.

"Eh, you stress too much, Ichigo-chan. Relax, everything's going to be fine." Kaien grinned, slapping his younger cousin on the back. "You really need to lighten up. That's the whole reason why we organised this trip."

"No," he rebuked. "_You_ organised this entire rendezvous - I didn't even get a choice in the matter!"

"Oh, quit your yapping, Ichigo!" Renji added, deciding to butt in. "Your worse than a chick."

Ashido was the only who remained silent, choosing instead to continue reading the novel in his hand and from the looks of it, he wasn't too far from finishing it.

"Che. Whatever." Ichigo grumbled, feeling his irritation grow. "So where are we going from here?"

"Don't you worry about a thing, Ichigo. I've got it all covered." Despite his carefree mood, Kaien's voice left no room for argument, piquing Ichigo's curiosity even further. "Let's go."

"Wait! What about our luggage?"

"Don't worry about it, I've had it be sent to our hotel rooms. We'll be staying the Karakura Plaza for the next two nights."

"Oh." The orange-haired youth tried to bite back his disappointment upon hearing his accommodation had already been organised. He would've preferred staying with his family and slept in his old bedroom, however, such luxuries were hard to come by nowadays. His family already had to deal with the media or paparazzi always barging in on their everyday lives; if word got out that Ichigo Kurosaki would be taking residence for the next couple of days, there would be a frenzy. Karin would probably tell any photographers to shove it where the sun don't shine, whilst Yuzu would most likely faint from shock and no doubt Isshin, their crazy-ass father, would take sheer joy in humiliating Ichigo by providing the paparazzi with all his most god-awful baby photos and then proceed to tell them about the most embarrassing moments of Ichigo's childhood; totally destroying his image of pure bad-ass.

Which would be a huge problem, because apparently, girls seem to find the idea of a bad boy to be incredibly sexy.

Out of nowhere, Kaien's phone began to buzz, causing the rest of the group to turn to see their guitarist pluck his Iphone from his jeans' pocket and had a wide grin upon his face when he recognised the caller. "Hey," he greeted to the person on the other end of the line. "Oh really? Good timing. Alright, we'll be out in a minute. Yes, we can make our way over without attracting attention! Alright, see you soon."

Before any of them could ask the details of that unexpected call, Kaien answered: "Looks like our transport is here."

Following the good faith of their oldest band member, the Mugetsu group found themselves being lead outside. Although it was not the Narita airport, Karakura's own still had a steady stream; filled with bustling business men returning home from their work excursion, or families excited to leave the quiet city for the summer vacation. Despite its hustle and bustle, it was like a breath of fresh air.

_It feels good to be home._ Ichigo thought with a content smile. _Kaien's right; I really need to lighten up. Everything's going to be fine._

"There's our lift." Kaien said, pointing over to a vehicle nearly twenty feet away. It was a dark green van with many dents and scratches, despite that it provided a unknown sense of nostalgia in Ichigo and he couldn't quite understand why.

_It looks so familiar. _The orange-haired man thought; pondering through his mind to find a recognition.

"We're going in that piece of crap!" Renji exclaimed, looking somewhat disappointed. However, he continued walking towards the van.

_Almost too familiar..._

"Wait," Ashido finally spoke as he laid his eyes on the decrepit vehicle. His voice deep and thoughtful. "Isn't that G-"

"KYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"Huh?" Renji and Ichigo both exclaimed, turning around-

_**WHACK! THUMP!**_

-to find their eldest member lying on the ground, unconscious with his wrists tied behind his back. "Kaien!" Bending down to reach his cousin, Ichigo pushed Kaien onto his side and then placed his index & middle finger onto Kaien's neck to find a pulse. "Thank God, he's still alive!"

"What the hell just happened?!" Renji asked, eyes wide & alert, bracing himself for another attack.

"Ah!"

This time it was Ashido on the ground, who while fortunately he was still conscious, was now incredibly; bound, gagged & blindfolded.

"Renji, help Ashido!" the band leader ordered, panic laced in his tone at the realisation they were being targeted. _What the hell's going on? How could none of us have not noticed?_ The worst part was that they were so far away from the airport now that Ichigo seriously doubted that there were any security cameras or any passerby's. _Where are they coming from?_

"KYAAAAH!" There was that sound again followed by a _**WHACK! **_and then:

"Eeeek!"

"Renji!" But before he could locate the distressed call, Ichigo found himself attacked from behind; the perpetrator covering his eyes with a black blindfold and then shoved roughly into the ground. He tried to fight back or at least yell, but his great shock, he realised that his wrists were already tied back and that he was now sporting a mouth gag of his own. _What the hell?! How did he do that without me noticing? _

All of a sudden he could hear someone else approaching, their footsteps loud and urgent. "Holy shit! You didn't need to go _that_ far!" A man's voice, which Ichigo noted to be sounding rather horrified. "Doesn't matter now; lets get them into the van before anyone sees!"

"Hai." Came the response and by the sound of it: a woman. Wait- a woman? Was he meant to believe him & his band just got taken down by a WOMAN?! Well, fuck! Tatsuki would be having a field day if she knew that.

Ichigo could hear the others muffled voices, from what he was assuming were mouth gags, and them struggle against their own binds; probably both trying to assess the situation as well. The sound of a metal door opening, made Ichigo's heart begin to pump like mad.

_This can't be happening!_ He panicked as he felt himself be lifted off the ground.

"You did a real number on him, so you better stay in the back with them to make sure he's still alive by the end of it." The man said gruffly.

_I know that voice from somewhere..._

"Okay."

_Her's too... _His train of thought was disrupted when Ichigo felt himself being put upright, and to his surprise, felt a seat belt being wrapped securely around his waist. _At least they're thoughtful kidnappers._

"We're ready to go!" The woman had sounded so cheerful and so bubbly as she said that, that it made the orange-haired guitarist ponder whether kidnapping innocent bystanders was just a regular hobby of hers, or there was something seriously wrong with her.

"I'll try to be as careful as possible," the male replied.

_Kaien, what have you gotten us into?_ Ichigo wondered, it was his final thought before he heard the van door slam shut.

* * *

Throughout the entire trip, the female captor was quiet which was incredibly frustrating for Ichigo because he was absolutely certain he knew that voice. All he needed was for one more word to escape her lips; just one little word or lilt or sigh and her identity would be revealed, and Ichigo could finally learn who he was dealing with. However, the woman choose to remain silent and the nineteen year old found himself to be growing further frustrated.

Meanwhile, across from him, sat Renji, who was howling & growling underneath his mouth guard and by the sound of it, he was trying to undo his ropes. Although he sincerely hoped wasn't the case, because that would be incredibly stupid because the red-head was being so vocal about it at this present moment that if Ichigo whose currently sightless, could notice the drummer's motives; then there would be no doubt that their kidnappers would already have anticipated the move.

_Well, _Ichigo thought, _he's always been the more impulsive one... _

Ashido being the quiet & thoughtful one, remained still beside the orange-haired teen. Instead, he seemed almost at peace and if Ichigo didn't know any better, he would be assuming that the auburn-haired bass player was meditating - a habit of Ashido's whenever he was stumped on a dilemma and needed to reflect on what action should be taken.

However, most concerning was Kaien. The guitarist hadn't made a single sound nor movement since the airport and Ichigo was starting to get worried.

_You better wake up soon,_ he thought. _Because I'll be kicking your ass soon and it would be in poor taste if your dead. _

_**SCREECH! CLUNK!**_

_It looks like we've stopped._ He noted, bracing himself for any sudden movements or opportunities to strike. The orange-haired teenager almost smiled as he heard the door open and found himself to be surprised as he felt a fresh breeze of summer air sweep into the van, making him only realise just now how hot & stuffy it was. _I never thought I could feel so good about being in the fresh air._

"WHAT ON EARTH?!"

Another voice, definitely different from the other two. Once again so familiar, so important, so _irritating_ and yet so far away from recognition. It was a voice of superiority, smugness, hard-headedness and kindness. Why? Why was this driving Ichigo insane? Why did he seem to find such familiarity & nostalgia from his kidnappers? Why did forgetting about them hurt his heart so much?

They were precious, he knew that now, but why? Who were they?

He couldn't make out the rest of their conversation, they were all too far away unfortunately, so he allowed himself a moment to assess the situation: they were in an unknown location, Kaien was affiliated with these people, and from the sound of things, the kidnappers didn't seem to want to bring any harm upon the band.

_Wait a minute!_ He then remembered something Ashido pointed out back at the airport, just before they were ambushed.

_"Wait," Ashido finally spoke as he laid his eyes on the decrepit vehicle. His voice deep and thoughtful. "Isn't that G-"_

And suddenly it clicked.

_Ganju! _Ichigo realised. _This is Ganju's van! If that's the case then why the fuck are we all tied up? I wouldn't have protested against hanging out with the old gang unless..._

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

_No,_ he thought in horror, his body breaking out into a cold sweat. _Oh Kaien, you didn't! You better have not have done what I think you have done, or you're __**really**__ going to be dead in the next five minutes! _

Even Ashido beside him tensed at the new voice, which only furthered Ichigo's anxiety.

_Please don't let it be her. Please! Please! Please! I'll take on Tatsuki, Ikkaku & Dad in a brawl all at once! I'll read "Fifty Shades of Grey" to a mob of rabid fan girls with no clothes on! I'll even go into a lingerie shop with my sisters! Just please, anyone else but her..._

Because... Because...

* * *

_"Stupid boy, do you really think that we could ever be more than friends? A lowly boy such as yourself? How foolish."_

_"Why are you talking like this?" He was worried, this wasn't like her at all. This wasn't the girl who liked to banter or throw playful insults, this person before him lacked warmth and comfort - she was frigid and cold and so utterly unfeeling. He's only experienced this once before and that was when Byakuya was around; it had been a terrible moment and so unbearable to watch that it had taken all of his willpower not to grab her shoulders and shake it all out. Something was definitely wrong._

_"I have already explained myself, boy." She turned around, then continued: "I need not repeat myself."_

_"What the hell are you talking about, Rukia? Look at me damn it!" But she didn't. Instead, she started walking away; slowly yet elegantly, painstakingly slow yet confident with a tinge of arrogance - as if believing that her harsh words were enough to halt him and render him paralysed. _

_She was right. _

_"Oi!" He cried with a voice of desperation, like a drowning sailor in a storming ocean; struggling to hold onto the rope which would lead him to safety, but alas, was rapidly losing grip. _

_**This can't be happening...**_

_She didn't respond. She just kept walking, further & further away. _

_"OIII! OOOOOIIIIIIIII!"_

_Not once did she look back and notice the heart-broken expression carved all over Ichigo's face._

* * *

Because if she was there, if after two long & arduous years Rukia Kuchiki would be stepping into his life again, Ichigo didn't know how he would be able to handle it.

"Sorry for the wait. You can come out now." The voice, which Ichigo now recognised to be Orihime Inoue, apologised as she undid the his seat-belt. Gentle & courteous, just as he remembered.

"Pfft! He's endured worse." Ganju, who had always liked to grind Ichigo's gears, commented abruptly. Irritating as always.

"Please be careful, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue warned in a soft tone, keeping one hand on his shoulder and the other one keeping his head down as she gently veered him towards the exit. Ichigo felt a hand on his arm, urging him to sit down on the panel's edge, before his feet finally found the ground again. Another several minutes passed by as, what he assumed to be, Inoue & Ganju assisting the other band members out of the vehicle.

With the sound of heavy footsteps and a strong breeze suddenly sweeping by, Ichigo found himself catching the faint fragrance of green tea & cherry blossoms; delicate, refreshing, invigorating. It took him back to lazy Sunday mornings where he would relax in bed before being reminded by the midget that he would get fat if he lounges about which he would then shoot back that she was doing the exact same thing. They'd argue, he'd insult her drawings, she lash out with her fist or her sketchbook or when she was feeling particularly generous, do both.

The scent also reminded him of rainy afternoons when he was feeling particularly gloomy and needed to clear his thoughts; he would walk around mindlessly for hours only then to find Rukia standing in the middle of the road, completely drenched. He would tell her off and say she would get pneumonia, however, she'd ignore him and stretch her hands up to the sky before pulling them back - maybe she wished to connect to the sky, maybe she too was lost in thoughts or maybe she was simply fascinated with how the rain felt against her skin, he wasn't sure and he never asked, but he thought that she always looked beautiful when doing so.

Much like its owner, the fragrance demanded his absolute attention and he was instantly brought him back to the present; he knew it was pointless to deny it any further. After all, he could recognise her scent in a heart beat and there was no doubt in his mind that he was now in the presence of the one person in the entire world of whom he'd prefer to never lay eyes on again. Oh the irony.

"Remove the ties." Her voice commanded, so strong and clear.

He could feel the ropes around his wrists loosen and then his mouth becoming free to breathe from that awful gag. Before finally, that damn blindfold came undone and bright light filled his vision. It hurt a little at first, having his eyes adjust to the light oh-so suddenly, the pain however was only momentary and in that next minute, his sight was completely restored and his suspicions were confirmed.

After two years, standing less than five feet away before him was the impervious Rukia Kuchiki.

However, for only less than a second but in that moment, he could've sworn (no, he _knew_) he saw regret in those dark blue eyes... _No, you don't have the right to look at me like that. You broke my heart and stomped all over the remaining shards of my dignity, so you have no right to look so sad... _before it vanished and was replaced with a look of indifference, or maybe it was there all along and he didn't notice until now.

Rukia had always been an enigma. Weird too. Not to mention wild, impulsive, moody, bitchy, stubborn, kind, selfless, nurturing - there were too many words to label her with, but as he stared at the young woman before him, he came to three important conclusions:

The first was that she was just beautiful as ever, despite the ridiculous new haircut (which in his opinion, made her look like a boy.)

The second; she still had that same lonely look to her.

And the third, which despite himself and everything she ever put him through; Ichigo was still in love with her.

* * *

_AN: Another chapter done and dusted - I'm sated. _

_You tend to get motivated when Kubo Tite is adding more suspense into the series, which leads me to ask you all a question which has been on my mind for a long time now. Do you think when Kuukaku mentioned her uncle do you think she was referring to Isshin, or someone else and was just referring them out of Japanese politeness? Because that would be awesome if Isshin was. Then Kaien & Ichigo would be cousins and it'd explain their similarities. _

_Also, did anyone else jump in joy when that interesting bit of info about Masaki was mentioned? Personally, I always believed that her death was too suspicious, and that she could see the Grand Fisher. Call it a hunch, or the fact that in every anime with a dead mother involved there's usually a shocking revelation about them, but I feel pretty proud of myself for figuring it out. So excited for the next chapter - they get to meet the Spirit King! Finally!  
_

_On a another note, I'd like to thank you guys so far for all the support; from the ones who review to the ones who put this fic on their story alert, even to the ones who simply click on this page. I appreciate it and look forward to posting the next chapter.  
_

_Thanks again, Water-Star.  
_


	4. Re:Pray

_I am yearning and yearning just for you_

_Yet the place we wished to be was not here_

_Your voice that is still left in me _

_This prayer, I want to take it to tomorrow_

_I cannot live for anyone else's sake_

_I want a strength to be able to forgive myself_

_So I pray a day will not come where I will not regret the days I didn't cuddle you_

_This prayer will tear apart the clouds_

_And will release these hopes into the sky_

_Re:pray_ - Aimer

* * *

No one spoke. No one moved. No one even dared to _breathe _once everyone's ropes were untied. Even Renji, who had struggled continuously throughout the entire ordeal, froze once he witnessed the sight before him.

Amber clashed against sapphire.

Sapphire broiled against amber.

It was difficult to say where one started and the other began.

Everyone else stood entirely still as they watched the inner conflict between the once dynamic duo of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki. They could _feel_ the tension rise. Each one of them wondering who would take the courage to speak first - all anticipating the first move, all dreading the verbal sparring soon to follow. But most importantly, all were thinking the exact same question:

_Why did it have to come to this?_

* * *

There were a million things running through the band leader's mind at that moment - questions he wanted to ask of how & why things were they way they were now, hurtful & spiteful resentments he wanted to throw callously to the icy-heiress, and everyday pleasantries that one uses when reacquainting with an old friend. He wanted to lash out and direct all his anger and hurt and longing to the young woman who broke his already damaged heart oh-so-recklessly from two years ago. Yet, another part of him wanted to forget all the petty words that drove them apart, turn over a new leaf and just be genuinely glad that they were meeting again.

It was so hard to believe that after so long they were standing face-to-face again.

A lot had changed with Rukia, Ichigo noticed and took his time in his observations. She had grown taller by another inch or so despite the ridiculously massive wedge-heels she was wearing _(still a midget, though...)_ and her figure was a bit fuller too _(well, she's not as scrawny as before...)_ with legs as long and lovely and drool-worthy as he remembers _(holy crap, did she always have legs like that!? No forget that - what the hell is she wearing?!) _Her current attire greatly surprised the orange-haired guitarist. From when he knew her, Rukia was very conservative with her choice of clothing and always preferred dressing in long flowing dresses and leggings. However, that was not what shocked him the most, what really got Ichigo's attention was her new hairstyle.

No longer the infamous mid-length crown cut which she adjourned for countless years; instead, her raven-black locks now chopped off, reaching only down to her chin and in his own personal opinion, he didn't like it. Not one bit. _She looks like a boy! _

Still apart from that, Ichigo couldn't stop himself from staring. She wasn't the same Rukia that he remembered. This young female who used to be so cold, so unbelievably naive, a wildfire & so full of vigor and yet so overly cautious - now stood before him was a woman.

He was somewhat saddened to see how much things have changed with Rukia, but he knew it's pointless to dwell on the past.

So with a sigh, he closed his eyes and felt a nostalgic grin creep onto the corners of his lips. "Yare, yare. Still up to the same tricks, I see."

As he opened his eyes again, he watched in satisfaction at Rukia's reaction. Blinking in surprise, she commented dumbfound. "Eh?"

Clearly she was not expecting that at all.

"Don't _"Eh?"_ me!" he grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. "Only you guys would conjure up a kidnapping as a suitable means for transport! Although I'm rather impressed that Inoue managed to apprehend all of us with such quick timing!" Turning to said-person, he flashed her a warm smile, completely oblivious to the affect it was leaving on the ginger-haired teen. "You've gotten a lot stronger. Well done."

"T-thank you!" She stuttered, obviously caught off-guard by his compliment.

Ichigo continued: "I realised who it was the moment we saw Ganju's van, which by the way, Ganju would it kill you to clean the interior of your vehicle? It friggin' reeks in there!"

"Hey just be grateful that you even got to go for a ride in Bonnie-chan! Had it not been for Orihime-chan's insistence, you would've been tied to the roof!"

"You named the van: _"Bonnie-chan"_?" Ichigo countered, horrified at the idea. Oh Lord, that was even tackier than the time when Kukkaku decided that her front garden needed a new look. She had decided it would look really badass to place two giant sculptures of a hand in fist formation; holding a huge red banner. For weeks, Ichigo had to make countless excuses to his cousins on why he couldn't come over to visit: he had too much homework, Isshin was placing a strict curfew, he had to walk the dog (which would've worked had he actually _had a dog!_) - when in actually Ichigo didn't have the balls to admit that he was simply mortified at being simply within a hundred meter radius of it. His father was no better either with those tacky flower-patterned shirts, Kaien seemed to be the only sane one, at least until one day when he thought it'd be a great idea to dye his hair orange. Ichigo had to endure two weeks of being addressed as "Kaien-sempai" by lovestruck teenage girls or worse, receiving insulting-compliments like, "you pull it off much better than Kurosaki."

_Guess poor taste really does run in the Shiba family._

"Shut up! Who asked you for your opinion?" Ganju shot back.

And just like that, all the tension and hostility instantly melted away, like a ice-cube which has fallen into a cup of boiling hot water.

It felt so good, Ichigo realised, catching up with the old gang.

Inoue was so different from the last time he laid eyes on her. Gone was the timid and faint-hearted girl, and replaced by a confident young lady. He found out to his immense-surprise that she could be attending a very prestigious culinary college once the summer was over, the only reason he knew of its existence was because he remembers Yuzu always remarking on how she wanted to go there once she completed high-school. Ishida was annoying as always, apparently he was off to study fashion design instead of studying to become a doctor, much to his father's dismay. Even Ganju, to his great amusement, would soon to be off to university to study child psychology and hoped to become a youth worker.

He was happy for the three of them, they all had their heads screwed on right and were prepared to get out into the real world and make a name for themselves.

"I hate to interrupt." Ashido spoke, making everyone instantly focus their attention onto him. "But I believe we've all forgotten something." Turning his head towards the van, immediately everyone remembered the fourth band member.

"Kaien-san!" Rukia exclaimed, worry etched onto her face. Her sapphire eyes alight with something Ichigo could neither understand, nor wanted to. The petite woman swiftly made her way into the Bonnie-chan mobile, rushing over to the unconscious guitarist. "Kaien-san!" she repeated, "Oh please be okay!"

She was shaking, Ichigo noticed, as she reached out to touch Kaien; slowly & hesitating as she placed her trembling fingers against the man's throat, obviously trying to find a pulse. A sudden groan escaped from the man's lips, alerting everyone. Turning her head to the side, Rukia lowered herself to Kaien's mouth trying to listen.

The orange-haired leader could feel Inoue tense beside him, noticing the way her hands wrapped together against her chest with a clearly worried look on her face - she was probably thinking that she might've caused some serious damage.

A look of relief washed over a moment later as Rukia sat up. "He's snoring."

Ichigo, and he was sure the entire group, were about to face plant themselves into that pavement at that comment. _Typical Kaien, _he thought in annoyance. _Lazy as ever._

"But we should still get him a doctor," Rukia continued. "Let's bring him inside."

"I'll carry onii-chan." Ganju volunteered, which was most definitely the smartest decision being the biggest and most sturdiest one of the group.

Inoue was the first one to offer her assistance in helping shift Kaien from the middle of the van onto Ganju's hunched form. However, Ishida & Renji were quick to protest against the kind offer _(no way, it would hurt their big male egos...) _and instead, they managed to pick up the purple-haired Shiba sibling and carried him all the way over to the edge of the van. After some careful maneuvering, Kaien was finally out of that blasted, confining heat box and into the fresh open air; resting against his younger brother in piggy-back style.

"We'll take him to my room," Rukia started. "It's-" Before being quickly interrupted by the sound of her phone. Pulling it from the back pocket, her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly as she read the caller id. Placing it to her ear, she spoke in a clear voice: "Rukia Kuchiki speaking. Oh good afternoon! Yes, I'll be with you shortly. Thank you."

"Is everything okay, Kuchiki-san?" Inoue inquired innocently.

"The caterers have arrived." She replied looking rather pleased. "Would you kind enough to show Ganju to my room?" Turning to the rest of the group, she continued, "I imagine you're all pretty thirsty after such a ordeal, so you're all welcome to the kitchen. Shirayuki should be there, as she's in charge of the beverages tonight. So just talk to her and she'll more than happy to help."

"I'm heading in that direction anyway so I'll take them there," Ishida offered. "Inoue-san, I have your outfit prepared for tonight."

Ichigo cocked an eyebrow, amused. _All these years, all that effort to go out of your way to impress Inoue and yet you still haven't got the balls to ask her out._

"Really? HOORAY!" the ginger-haired beauty cried in glee, stars alight in those lovely grey eyes of hers. It was the exact same reaction she had and probably always would give everytime Ishida sewed her a pretty new garment.

_I guess despite it all, some things really never do change..._ The orange-haired rock star thought, filled with a sense of contentment. _Maybe some things are still exactly the same as they were left off...__  
_

* * *

Rukia immediately headed over to the pool area, where the food would be served. Although it wasn't particularly long walk, only a couple of minutes really, however in the summer heat with the sun baring mercilessly down upon her exposed skin, _(and not to mention she was wearing black)_ - the Kuchiki heiress felt as though she was crossing the Sahara desert wearing nothing but a string bikini covered in coconut oil.

_Great,_ she cringed. _I'm going to be as red as a tomato tomorrow because I was too stupid to forget sunscreen! Damn it, why did I let Ishida con me into wearing one of his outfits? Of all the times, he decides to put me into a ridiculously short pair of denim shorts! In front of Ichigo too! So embarrassing. Speaking of which..._

It was so weird to see him again - she honestly thought there would be a indescribable tension between them. She actually expected for a fight to break out, however, looking on it now all those worries seem pointless, idiotic & a little insulting. Ichigo, despite his fiery temper, never unleashed his fury onto anyone without good reason. If someone was to pick a fight with a loved one, or precious friend, or a simple innocent bystander - then hell hath no fury. But when it came to feelings, Ichigo was a sensitive soul. He always been one to never pry and ultimately respected one's decision - even if it would hurt him in the process. He never held resentment or bitterness towards anyone - he simply accepted things for the way they were, moved on and would remain grateful for the experience. It was one of the things Rukia liked most about him.

_He's a lot taller._ She realised much to her annoyance; while she wasn't good with height estimates _(how could she when she was the shortest in the entire year?!) _she was certain that he was close to 6ft, which only made her feel even smaller. Her head only reached just above his shoulders and that was because she was wearing wedges! _Damn it! Where's the justice in it all?_

His bright orange hair was a lot longer too, giving him a look of rugged and daring. He had always been attractive, Rukia wouldn't deny it, but this new look he was sporting now just screamed _"come hither"_ or perhaps a better translation of it would be: _"come fuck me now." _It's no shock why he has such a huge collection of devoted, hormonally-charged fans.

_At least he's doing well for himself. I'm glad. _And she meant that with every fibre of her being. After all, all she had ever wanted for the man was a lifetime of happiness and success and endless love, ever since she met him sixth months after her thirteenth birthday. She had only moved to Karakura a few days into the beginning of the summer break.

She had been wandering around the town aimlessly, trying to get a grasp of what would be her new hometown, before deciding to take a detour through a park when she found Ooshima _(who she would later learn was a school student notorious for bullying)_ picking on a girl four years his junior. From an outsider's perspective it appeared the young girl had unfortunately crossed paths with the juvenile delinquent and accidentally dropped her ice-cream cone onto his jacket. She kept apologising, clearly distressed, through her tears and tried to make amends, but Ooshima would hear none of that; grabbing the front of the girl's dress and pulling her towards him. That's when Rukia snapped.

She had walked behind the delinquent, roughly tapped him on the shoulder and the moment he turned around, she socked him squarely in the nose, breaking it instantly. Then just to add icing to the cake and be sure that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon, Rukia also kicked the bastard down in the lower region and promised Ooshima should he ever pick on any hapless young girls again, she would ensure that he would never know the joys of being a father.

Although she didn't regret her choice of action and probably would have done it again should the need have arisen, looking back on it now, Rukia knew that it had been rather reckless and was immensely grateful that she never got reported, charged or even _(God-forbid) _sued for the assault.

The young girl automatically thanked the raven-haired teen for her bravery and then introduced herself, before inviting the sapphire-eyed teen to lunch. The young girl, Yuzu, explained that her & her family were having a picnic in celebration of her older brother, who was turning fifteen today. Naturally, Rukia immediately refused - she didn't wish to intrude. However, Yuzu was (and still _is_)an extremely persistent girl and it was only when she looked at Rukia with a teary _kicked-puppy-oh-why-don't-you-like-me? _expression, did she finally give in. Instantly, the eleven year old perked up and dragged the reluctant Kuchiki all the way to her family.

Even now Rukia can still remember how mortified she felt the moment she was introduced to the Kurosaki family. Yuzu in all her innocence, retold the story to her father & siblings of being rescued by her savior, Rukia onee-sama _(and no, she really did give Rukia that title for the next three years much to the raven-haired girl's embarrassment.) _To which, Isshin then embraced her with tears of gratitude and boldly proclaimed her as his "third daughter" before Karin punched her father in the chin and calling him an idiot.

Despite the bizarre and somewhat traumatic experience, Rukia had rather enjoyed the company of the animated Kurosakis. It was much more interesting, way preferable and more relaxing than the company of her own family.

Ichigo didn't really talk that much during the gathering and Rukia presumed it was due to her unwelcome presence, feeling incredible guilty for the intrusion. So she was understandably surprised when he offered to walk her home after she announced her departure.

_Even after that first meeting, he immediately felt compelled to protect me... _She thought, a warmth washing through her body at the fond memory.

Of course, Rukia had straight away refused Ichigo's generous offer; stating that she wasn't far from her house and did not wish to inconvenience the family any further. However, Isshin protested and said that there was certainly no way on earth he was going to allow his beautiful third daughter to walk home alone and risk her chastity to be exposed by high-schooler in his mating season, whose just returned from _"looking at the autumn ocean, screaming out from the depths of his heart"_ - Isshin's words, not hers. Even Karin, although very reluctantly, had agreed with her father and told Rukia to just give in, offering the Kuchiki heiress with a very valid piece of advice:

_"Kurosakis are stubborn beings, Kuchiki-san,"_ Karin had said in that wry voice of hers. _"They say you can't get blood out of stone - well if Ichi-nii or dad were involved, they would get so much blood from it, they would have their own a blood bank. Probably not from the stone itself, but they'd certainly find another way. That's just how driven they are."_

She didn't know how right Karin was.

So Rukia accepted Ichigo's offer and they made the trek together. It had been a bit awkward at first, neither of them spoke and although Rukia didn't mind the peace - it was a bit off putting walking with a complete stranger and not know a single thing about them. She had been thoroughly confused, after all, he didn't even really talk to her during the picnic except for a simple _"Yo!" _and yet he was eager to walk her home - who does that?

_"Sooo..."_ She remembers starting, desperate for an ice-breaker. _"Your name means strawberry?" _

Unbeknownst to her, with that single line, Rukia had managed to melt an entire iceberg.

* * *

"Hello Kuchiki-san, you're looking as lovely as always." The caterer greeted to the Kuchiki heiress; he had a solid build and a pink mustache - despite his gigantic stature, he was a very gentle being.

"Good afternoon, Ushouda-san." Rukia replied, bowing in respect to the larger man. "It's good to see you. Thank you again for coming on such short notice, especially since I'm certain you'd be busy with preparations for next term."

"Think nothing of it, Kuchiki-san, and please refer to me as 'Hachi.' We've known each other for so long I think it's rather unnecessary for all the formalities." Hachi responded, before adding: "Besides, my personal assistant Lisa-san is very proficient. Although she does spend a lot of the time looking through swimsuit magazines..."

_Sounds a lot like Honsho... _Rukia thought, feeling mildly disturbed.

"Speaking of which..." the pink-haired man continued. "Lisa-san mentioned that there's a couple of missing details on Orihime-san's enrollment forms so I took the liberty of bringing them here. Will she be attending tonight?"

"Yes, she is. In fact, she's just inside the mansion getting ready. You can't begin to imagine how excited she is to be attending your academy. She nearly screamed the entire house down when she got the acceptance letter - I lost all hearing in my left ear for an entire week! I'm glad you took her in."

"Orihime-san is a versatile lady with a unique cooking style. To most, her ideas seem appalling, however, I find them refreshing. I believe with a little training and a lot of perseverance, she can become a great chef."

"I wouldn't doubt that. I've always enjoyed her cooking - especially her custard nigiri, but the others think I'm crazy. I wonder why? Whatever, they just have no taste for the finer things. It's as the saying goes: _"You can't feed strawberries to pigs."_ Anyway, you mentioned something about paperwork? I can give it to her right now, if you'd like."

"Yes, that would be great if you can." He then pulled of an A-4 sized envelope from his breast pocket and handed it to the petite` woman. "Please tell her that if she could return it to me as soon as possible, it would be greatly appreciated."

"No problem. I'll give it to her now."

* * *

The Kuchiki mansion hadn't changed much since his last visit, Ichigo realised as he followed Ishida to the kitchen. A fresh coat of paint here and a new wall ornament there, and probably some fresh flowers cut, but otherwise same old, same old. Somewhat disappointing, and a little boring, however, it gave the orange-haired guitarist a strange sense of comfort. It was nice to know that some things were still the same and that he wasn't intruding into foreign territory.

"Oi Ishida, you seem to know your way around here pretty well. I remember it taking me nearly an hour to find a bathroom! Then again, I'm not the greatest at directions." Renji commented in a way that if Ichigo didn't know any better, he could've sworn sounded like jealously.

"Both Kuchiki-san and Inoue-san are my fashion models and help me quite often with my designs." Ishida replied, not at all fazed by Renji's mood. "So I come here on a regular basis to get their feedback and take photos for my portfolio."

"Well that explains a lot," the red-haired drummer agreed, albeit reluctantly. "But did I just hear you address Orihime as "Inoue-san"? What the hell, man?! You known each other since freshman year and you still haven't made a move on her? What gives?"

If it wasn't for the fact he was still in a somewhat somber mood, Ichigo would've taken delight in Ishida's obvious discomfort.

"It's not like that, Abarai-kun! Inoue-san and myself are acquaintances, who share a mutual interest in design." He objected, his cheeks stained a pale shade of pink. "Besides even if I have feelings for her, which is absolutely absurd, what's the use of expressing them? Once summer is over we'll be going off in different directions to pursue different goals. Inoue-san will be doing culinary and I'll be designing. We'll be so busy doing our own thing, we wouldn't have any time for one another. That is to say; _if _she was even interested..."

Seeing the downtrodden expression etched deeply into his stature took Ichigo back to when he was that age. It had been difficult time and he was facing one of the most difficult decisions he would probably ever have to face: lose the chance to fulfil his dreams, or to lose the girl he was in love with. The decision had been a hard one and the consequences following were even harder to deal with, and although Ichigo was grateful for the life he lives now, sometimes he'll take a moment to stop and think of the _"what if"_s and _"what-could've-been"_s.

As annoying as Ishida could be, Ichigo wished that there was something he could do so his friend didn't have to go through the same thing.

"That's a stupid way of thinking! Even if she doesn't return the same feelings, you should at least give it a try!" Renji rebutted, before something clicked in his mind. "I get it - you're shy and you don't know how to open yourself up! Well never fear, Ishida, for tonight I will be your wing-man and with our combined efforts, we shall capture Orihime's heart!"

Oh God, now Ichigo felt _really sorry _for the bespectacled man. Renji was a lot of things: crazy, annoying, dedicated, loyal, a caring friend & dedicated musician, but there was one thing he most certainly was not - and that was a ladies man.

One time when they were out on the town in celebration of their album remaining Number 1 for its fifteenth week in the Top music chart, the red-haired drummer had brought it upon himself to find Ichigo some action as the lead-guitarist had been moody the entire evening, as Renji complained was _"bringing a total damper to the night."_ Which led Ichigo being introduced to a very pretty young girl by the name of Senna - who had a nice personality, a very lively attitude and lovely eyes that reminded him of a sunrise. All in all, he had rather enjoyed her company and he would've taken it further, had he not found out that by great misfortune, Senna was underage _(15 to be exact) _and that the paparazzi soon caught wind of the scandal.

Safe to say after an hour of scalding from his publicist, Yourichi Shihuon, and being branded for the next week in the tabloids as a lecher seducing young impressionable girls - Ichigo never allowed Renji to play matchmaker again.

"Absolutely not!" Ishida protested, already knowing how it would pan it.

"Why not?" the drummer whined. "With me, Ichigo & Ashido as your back-up: there's no way we can lose!"

"Uh-huh! No way in hell!" Ichigo exclaimed crossing his arms in a 'X' pose to indicate his seriousness.

"The same goes for myself," Ashido said in complete agreement.

"Oh come on guys! We should be helping Ishida."

"You've seem to have forgotten that all in all its Ishida-san's decision." The auburn-haired bassist commented, before adding in a tone of finality: "If he wishes to pursue Inoue-chan, then we should let him be."

"Hmph! Fine." Renji grumbled, arms crossed tightly against his chest as self-defence. "Great friends you turned out to be."

Deciding it was better to let it be, no one said anything else and instead continued to follow Ishida. They had just passed the mosaic vase on the red oak buffet table, which meant if memory served correctly, the kitchen was past those double doors. Good thing too, because Ichigo was practically aching for a drink right now.

With three gentle yet clear knocks, the youngest male of the group spoke: "Shirayuki-san, the entertainment for this evening has arrived. Would you be so kind as to serve them?"

Behind the white wooden doors the sound of footsteps could be heard, moving swiftly towards the group. A moment later, the doors were slide open and they were greeted by the fair maiden known to all as Shirayuki Kuchiki - daughter of Kouga Kuchiki and current mistress of the Kuchiki household.

She was a beautiful woman. Ichigo could remember the first time he met her and how he became enraptured by her beauty. She had flawless white skin, like that of the purest snow, with long hair that was the loveliest shade of white-gold, and her eyes an icy-blue which with one glance left people shivering. She looked so enchanting, so vibrant and so young & full of life, that it had been a great shock to learn that she was technically Rukia's niece.

Her blue-eyes widened in great surprise as she quickly recognised the faces of her long-lost acquaintances. The shock visibly vanished and was replaced with a serene smile.

"It's been a while, Ichigo-san, Abarari-san, Kano-san." She began, her voice soft and pleasant. "Welcome to the Kuchiki Estate, I trust you're all doing well."

"It has been some time indeed, Shirayuki-san," Ashido agreed, wearing a faint smile as he did so. "We've all been doing well. We've been pretty busy lately, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"Hey Shirayuki-san," Renji greeted, although he did it rather informally. "You're looking good tonight."

She did, Ichigo had to agree. Instead of the traditional kimonos he was so use to seeing, she was adorned in white skinny jeans with a matching blouse, adjourned with a lavender-purple vest, a lime-green belt hanging loosely around her hips and dark pink heels. It was odd seeing her in modern clothing, and yet it looked so good on her.

"Why thank you, Abarai-san. Ishida-kun was the one who came up with the designs. I don't usually wear this kind of clothing, but Ishida-kun has a knack with understanding what women want - I see a very bright future for him."

"You're too kind, Shirayuki-san." Ishida remarked, pushing his glasses back into place, obviously feeling rather smug with himself. "You'll have to excuse me, as I must tend to Inoue-san. I'll leave them in your care."

"Jeez Ishida, we're not five!" Ichigo grumbled, arms crossed his chest, ironically making himself appear like a five year old.

"Shiba-kun & Kano-san, I have no doubt. You and Abarai-kun, are another story." The bespectacled teen finished off with, already walking away before the guitarist could give another rebuttal.

"Smug son-of-a-bitch." He cursed under his breath.

_**SMACK!**_

"OW! WHAT THE HELL SHIRAYUKI!"

_**SLAP! SMACK! WHACK!**_

"You dare use foul language in the presence of a lady? And towards her, nonetheless?" Shirayuki queried, all previous pleasantry now gone. Instead replaced with a cold stare that could freeze molten lava and armed with an oriental fan responsible for the attack, which where it came from, Ichigo was curious - that was, if he wasn't crouched down and clutching his aching head whilst she glared at him.

"Such crude behaviour towards a Kuchiki would've resulted in beheading during the Edo period. Count yourself fortunate that we're neither in that period now, or that I'm no longer in possession of the Kuchiki white-blade. That honour has now been passed onto Rukia-chan."

"Oh thank God." Then a realisation dawned upon him. "Wait, the white-blade? You mean_ Shirafune _as in_ Sode-no-Shirayuki_ is Rukia's now? But I thought it was only passed down upon the mistress of the Kuchiki household."

The white-blade otherwise known as _Sode-no-Shirayuki _originated from the Edo Period with the original leader of the Kuchiki-clan presenting the blade to his wife as a token of his love. He believed that she deserved a blade as beautiful, pristine and pure as herself - it also symbolised the dangers of a woman. While she may be beautiful, do not misjudge her, for she can be sharp too and cut you deeply in ways you never imagined. She can be swift & alluring and even bring you to your knees, but most importantly, she can also be the death of you.

Ichigo had seen the blade once, and while he wasn't an expert on swordsmanship, he knew that it was a fine blade. Rukia told him once, that it was able to retain its beauty because it was never used for battle nor for bloodshed and with this day & age there wasn't a need to use it.

"You haven't heard?" Shirayuki pondered, mildly surprised.

"Heard what?" Renji asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him. "Is Rukia okay? She's not in any sort of trouble, is she?"

"I suppose she is in some way," the fair-haired beauty offered, clearly no longer irritated with Ichigo's colourful vocabulary.

"She's the sole inheritor of Kuchiki corporations," Ashido answered.

"WHAT?!" Ichigo & Renji exclaimed.

"You knew and you didn't tell us?!" The red-haired drummer said in outrage, pointing his finger to Ashido in accusation.

"I figured it would be unnecessary considering the media's been going on about it for quite sometime - six months to be exact. One publishing company is even trying to get the rights to do a biography."

"Wait did you say six months ago? It was announced around January?"

"Yes. January the fourteenth."

"You mean on Rukia's birthday? On her eighteenth? Oh man, talk about an extravagant birthday present! Certainly beats buying her a car." Then as he finished, Renji got a dreamy look to his eyes. "I'm so jealous. She gets to live a life of luxury and get to eat good food. She can get anything she wants and will never have to work a day in her life. What more could she want? Lucky her."

"You idiot, it's not that simple!" Ichigo objected, astounded by his friend's stupidity. "Don't you get it? Rukia will never be able to live a normal life! The other Kuchiki members are probably furious at this announcement, and she'll be targeted & back-stabbed by her so-called family. She would never have wanted to inherit the Kuchiki corporation. All she ever wanted was to-" He had to stop himself before going any further. The band-leader could already feel everyone's stares, all wondering why he was defending his ex-girlfriend.

_No, _a voice within him argued. _She was never yours to begin with. _How true. How painfully, painfully true. Maybe, just maybe if he had told her how he felt, maybe just pushed himself a little further, was just a bit more persistent before it was too late... maybe... just maybe... things would be a bit different...

"Rukia isn't shallow."

"Yeah, you're right." Renji agreed sheepishly, ashamed even. "That was stupid of me."

"At least you understand that," Shirayuki said, although it lacked the same warmth from before. No surprise though; she was always rather protective of Rukia. "The life of a Kuchiki is far from luxurious, Abarai-kun. I'd advise you to think before you speak next time when talking about things you don't understand."

An awkward silence followed as Shirayuki walked over to the fridge and grabbed out a glass jug filled with a light green/yellow coloured substance and slices of lemon, before she swiftly walked over to the kitchen bench positioned right in front of the men. Grabbing four tall glasses which were already out and started pouring the chilled beverage.

"I imagine, given the temperature outside, you wouldn't want hot green tea and as it's only late afternoon I'm sure you'd prefer to steer clear of any alcohol." She spoke, breaking the ice. "So I've prepared iced-green tea with slices of lemon to give a fresh citrus taste."

Ichigo felt like he had just died and gone to Heaven the moment that cold liquid touched his lips. He nearly moaned in pleasure as the freezing liquid slid down into his parched throat - he didn't even realise how thirsty he was until now. "Oh man, this is sooooo good! Thank you, Shirayuki."

"I glad to hear that," she replied, obviously pleased with herself before she noticed that the fourth glass was still full. "While it's so good to see you all again, I can't help but notice that Shiba-san isn't here. If you don't mind me asking; where is he?"

"Kaien had a bit of an incident on our way over and is now resting in Rukia's room." Ichigo answered, hoping to appease her curiousity. "If that drink is for him, I'd be happy to take it to him."

"Yes, if you don't mind." As she handed the glass, she added: "Please tell Shiba-san to come visit when he's feeling better."

"Will do. You guys coming?"

"Well, I'm pretty hungry," Renji admitted and turned to Shirayuki. "Have you got anything to eat?"

"You just ate on the plane!" the band leader protested in disbelief.

"Shaddup! I have a fast metabolism!"

"The caterers have only arrived so it'll be a while before their food is prepared. I can, however, make a few onigiri & a bowl of miso soup." The blue-eyed Kuchiki offered.

"That sounds amazing! Please do so!" the drummer asked, nearly on the border of begging.

"Certainly. Anything you would like, Kano-san?"

"I'd be happy with another drink, thank you."

"Fine! I guess I'll go visit Kaien by myself and see if he's still alive."

"Tell him we said _'Hi!'_" Renji joked.

Ichigo cursed under his breath again, but this time he succeeded in dodging Shirayuki's fan attack.

* * *

_AN: Just read Chapter 529 and OH... MY... **GOOOOOOOOOOD**! SO EPICALLY AWESOME! For those who haven't read it - I'll leave it at that._

_So now we have introduced Shirayuki; the outfit I designed for her was inspired by the colours she wore in the anime season 13. While I've always envisioned her in nothing else but her kimono, I wanted to give her a fresh look. If anyone's wondering about Rukia's outift, it was designed by Tite Kubo during his promotion of his fourth film - **"****Bleach: The Hell Chapter."**__Orihime and Ichigo's too - if anyone actually cares...__  
_

_I'm hoping that everyone's been enjoying this fic so far - I really wanted to make this as detailed as possible and keep the reader's interest. I also wanted to keep everyone in their character which I don't feel as though I have, but when they're in an AU, I guess you can tamper a bit._

_A thank to NieveDrop for pointing out my spelling flaw though I found out phenomena is an actual word (not to confuse it with __Phenomenon..._)

_I want to give a big thank you to everyone whose reviewed, favourited, or alerted this story. I deeply appreciate it and all feedback is welcome. Please review, they keep me sane - seriously. I look on my email every half hour to see if anyone has reviewed, sad I know.  
_

_Until we meet again._


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